This was a fine Thurs nite at MSG
The place was rockin
What is the saying “there is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert” Give it a listen

Strong STRANGER opener
Does any other tune except Shakedown captures that NYC vibe?
Funny as HOT as this show is you need only search out the
nicely well placed but ugly version of Althea from this set.
Weeds of ultimate demise are being sewn.
But other than that 93-95 spoiler alert this is a SWEET SHOW!
ALL OVER NOW-a light hearted version
with no Healy to Skullfudge Weir's vocals

They work hard during the 1st set
the crowd is over the top from the get go
with good versions of Ramble on
(Jerry fights off some vocal wear & tear)
El Paso and a mighty fine B.E. Women
Oh and as WILD as that 2nd set is :
I had forgotten
about the Greatest Story>U.S.Blues to close Set One!
With GREATEST emerging out of a "LET PHIL SING" Chant

Did they ever really quite get to this level again
at anytime during the European Tour?
but if it wasn't for this night.
I probably never would have gotten that Passport,
Eu rail pass, And that sweet fistful of tickets from GDTS

This recording seems to have the edge
over the one I went with and reviewed in 2007.
Anytime 'Bertha Remaster'
that is a pretty good clue to check it out

Just enjoy 2nd set
GET UP AND DANCE
IT WON'T RUIN YOU

2nd best version of the Stones 'All Over Now'. First being 1979-08-05 Oakland where Jerry throws round that 'get, get, get some' pickins! We had it so good in '89-'90.

have been to many shows at Madison Square Garden since the early 1970's, in cluding The Who, Stones, Zep,Bowie, Pink Floyd, Clapton, Dylan etc....most of the great ones. But this was the only time before or since that I could FEEL the place vibrate and swear that the top tiers of MSG were actually moving....I was not particuarly a Deadhead but I had seen some shows in the 70's (Roosevelt Stadium, Englishtown, Capitol Theatre) and at my alma mata Rutgers in Piscataway in '81....this was my first time back and this show knocked the daylights out of me and my date. A+++

El Paso
is that how it was meant to be?

The China Rider is as another reviewer has already posted HUGE. But it's the Dark Star that steals the show, as the boys hop in the time machine for a lysergic odyssey that alternates between melodic/lyrical and weird, atonal, intense and scary. I was playing this in my office at work and someone walked in and said "what the fuck is this???" Great stuff - you won't be disappointed.

After years of promising to take her to a show, she and her boyfriend flew to Maryland for my wedding. We picked them up at the airport and drove straight up to NY. My fiance' and the boyfriend went to McSorley's to drink while we went to the show.

This was the first time that I ever saw Bruce play with the boys. My god can that guy play. At the end of the show, I told my sister that if she didn't enjoy what she had just witnessed, don't ever bother coming back. I don't know how many shows I had been to before I saw one of this quality.

Wow. It was so nice to hear this show again, having been at the MSG run in 1990. I remember who I was with and what we were doing and safe to say I enjoyed myself completely . The close to home shows that the garden provided me,the vibe of the show this night was extra hot. I remember being completely bugged out during drums/ space, into darkstar. 23 years later this stands up as one of my favorite shows of the 100+ shows I had the privilege to have attended. Jerry and the boys were on there game this night. Sublime show. Great New York City energy. Went to wo hop in Chinatown as was our ritual after a show.

Honestly I believe this was the last good dead show I saw. Everything after that kinda sucked. I saw every show on this tour. Brent was still alive when I mail ordered for this tour, and I received my tix the day after he died. Unbelievably, 2 of the spectrum shows I received first row center for, and I received floor seats for every show. But by the end, we were so wiped out from going every night, we did our old thing which was to hang out up high with the spinners and enjoy from afar.

This was a fabulous run of shows.

I was there--it was my 4th show and I was completely blown away. I had to ask people what was happening during the second set jam. I had never seen anything like it, nor heard any music like it.

I kept on seeing shows until 1994, probably saw 40 in all, but I never saw anything like it again. I kept going back, hoping to catch the same energy, but it never happened. I'm not complaining, though; I loved every show and the people I met, the experiences I had, were worth every penny and every moment.

Love the Dead
Be kind!

China > Rider, yes, quite fantastic.....

How many aren't? Well, maybe not this good, but get my point?

But folks, there is a 32 minute suite of Dark Star > Playin' Reprise > Dark Star that is, IMHO, the EPIC version of Dark Star played by the GD after breaking it out in 1989. Add in the typical post drums space & you're talking well over 45 minutes of free-form, out there jamming with almost nary a word spoken - you'd have to go back to 1974 to match that.
The transition from the Playin' Reprise back to Dark Star, melting from one back to the other as opposed to the too often used 'stop one, start the other' type, only makes the whole suite seem more like one seamless piece.

To me, this is MSG stand THE PEAK of the midi-induced revival that led to Jerry coming back to life & the band stretching back out & jamming again (after the pitifully short jams of '87-88). And this show is THE PEAK of that stand.

This is THE night.

I wish Keyshawn & I weren't just half-heartedly joking & actually got on the train to NYC that afternoon to go to this one - those infants have a way of stopping that spontaneous stuff & we both had a new one at the time. Such is life. Now mine's at - get this - Kenny Chesney as I type this, lol.

I guess you reach a point in your Deadhead evolution where you don't think you'll run into a new show that's really going to change your life. Well folks welcome to 9-20-90 which has just rocketed in to my all time top five. There is a two minute segment in China Cat that has to be one of the coolest two minutes of any Dead i've ever heard. People, I was a 60s/70s only snob before I laid my ears on this masterpiece. Like I said....life changing.

This really is a pretty exceptional show and one of the stronger ones from this era. The sound quality is superb. I'm a Hornsby fan and I love what he added to the Dead. I think he's a bit tentative in places, but still good (great solo in "Rider"). Meanwhile, Vince's cheesy synth patches, which are too high in the mix, almost ruin a few songs for me. But the show is so strong and the playing so inspired throughout that I can overlook it. The "Truckin > China > Rider" is amazing. Despite Vince's annoying keys in parts, this really is a great show. Definitely worth a listen.

I think it is arguable that this is the greatest dead show at least from 1970-1995. Some of the 60's stuff, like the Acid Tests, are all bets off, but in the more structured concert environment, this concert is hard to beat. It has everything. The playing is top notch. Hornsby goes sick and adds a lot. Different styles of course but the first set is totally solid with a unique, interesting set list. The second set is great on paper and even better over the speakers. Bob sounds like he woke up this morning determined to have the greatest show ever tonight. China>Rider is off the charts. The Post Drums is epic. Even the Throwing Stones is stunning. And the Touch of Gray is a solid, fast, up tempo version which translates to the perfect closer to this monster night of music. Instead of the band coming out and saying "lets ease out of this with a Baby Blue" Bob comes out and shreads a Lovelight that tears everything up yet again. Just a great great show.

This really is a fantastic show, as noted by everyone here. In particular, the China Cat jam finally takes off after some false starts. When it does, the hair on the back of my neck just stands straight out...not a lot of music can do that (Coltrane, Vladimir Horowitz, Ella...). And, I totally agree with another post, Phil is PHENOMENAL!!!

Can't add much more than previous comments. By far the best mind-blowing show I experienced in the flesh (saw 4 of 6 that run). The second set will send you to another dimension!
To answer smgarcia's question above: They never did the Playin' reprise from the 9/15 show. Better late than never! Sick.

Great show! Love it Love it Wondering way we can't download it anymore...I found the taper recording but really wanting the sound board recording also! If you can help me shot me a email at Conrad314@hotmail.com Thanks

I never listen to post Brent Dead because I always thought they lacked fire, but this show...ye gods! This is really inspired! The Ramblin Rose is great and the China/Rider just KILLS! The way Jerry sings the "wish I was a headlight" verse sends shivers down my spine! I will have to be more open to post Brent shows and not dismiss them so easi;y. For now I will play that China/Rider again...

Just listened to it yesterday running around in my truck. Tons of energy from start to finish, a show I never tire of listening to. Enjoyed it so much I had to call my brother and talk about it, as it was the last show he and I saw together.

Jim

The Grateful Dead channel on Sirius is playing this show right now. I'm not a huge fan of the post Brent days, but there is no way that anyone out there can deny the deep feelings laid into China/Rider in this show. I don't know where the band summoned the energy from, but you can here it in all of them. You just know they are referring to Brent in I know you Rider. It just ende and I have chills as I'm writing this review. Hornsby's piano is on point, Bob is on another planet and Jerry is, well, Jerry of old in my opinion. He slams through the final solo after belting out the "headlight" verse. I'm speechless. I'm still listening to the show, but if you want to hear one hell of an emotional "Rider" download this show. I'm giving it four stars for the time being. You won't be disappointed. "Gonna miss me when I'm gone." Truer words were never spoken.

and an interesting set list (for 1990). dark star is pretty good. very happily Bruce is on board here otherwise (if all there was was Vince) this show would be a shell of itself. As it is Vince ruins a few tunes (e.g. stranger). i saw most of this run and this was a fine show. nonetheless, it is evident that the downhill slide had begun...

this is an example of the adage "when phil's on, the band's on"

i thought of brent a few times throughout the show. especially the women are smarter. but bruce and vince, well bruce, certainly filled in quite nicely

awesome fucking show. killer setlist. amazing all throughout! get it now

only dark star i ever caught so for that, 5 stars on this show....i dont remember a lot about the first set of this show other than the stranger, which i always thought was great, it meant jerry was ready to jam on the first tune of the night, a good omen....and a song i think rarely disappointed,....this is an intense version, really getting dissonant before jerry leads everybody back into the tune. A HOT OPENER.

i had the same experience as the previous reviewer with THE STAR...the mood in the arena was very mellow and anticipatory....jerry starts to noodle the dark star theme and i jump up out my seat and i am the only one (or so it seems)!...embarassed, i sit back down.....my buddy is like, "what';s up dude are you ok?"...."i could swear he just played it!" says i...."i know he just played it...."....played what? says buddy.......and then they settle on playing IT proper and as they begin, the crowd jumps up ECSTATIC around me....NOW, i am A MESS, a puddle of tears and confusion, some sweet hippy girl behind me rubs my back and says "...it's ok ....it's ok. it's REAL, they're playing IT....just relax."

as you might imagine, certian substances were involved.....ANYWAY, this is a good sounding recording for the time period. PHIL's bass tone is just amazing....an amazingly warm tone....the keyboardists, bobby, everyone is just ON!

During the MSG Run in 1990, I was fortunate enough to catch 4 out of the 6 shows they played that week. 9/20/90 was easily - the best show of that run - the best show of the year - the best show of the 20 something shows I had seen. I remember the China/Rider that came out of nowhere from Truckin was EPIC. The highlight for me was everything that happened after Drums. The space they played was very quiet. The vibe in the arena was evident. It was something you could sense - that something was about to happen. As they were coming out of space, I started to hear Jerry starting to noodle around it a little bit, a few seconds later, I saw everyone come to agreement and launch into a monumental and historic Dark Star. As all heads know, Dark Star means "All bets are off!" This version is a perfect example of that statement. Perhaps it was the infusion of Bruce and Vince, but whatever it was, it was a no-holds-barred exploration into the all the colors of the Dark Star spectrum. It is over 16 years later and I still get chills thinking about this show...

If anyone has a Soundboard CD of this show, please contact me. I will be happy to compensate you if you can provide me a copy. Thanks...seancanputt@yahoo.com

what I wouldn't have given to have been in that room on that night... I love these Bruce shows...so much interplay between him and jer, and almost every song is extended to accomodate a soulful piano solo!

Can someone explain the reprise? It's out of nothing - meaning there was never a Playin' to begin with. I think it's kind of cool, but also weird.

I guess that is the story of all things GD.

...whatever --
the boyz HAD to change up their sound thruout their lives -- if for no other reason than keeping their sanity playing the same songs over and over...and over...

...and over.

MIDI-fied early 90's is fine by me.

The China/ Rider really is super. Some of the best Music ever recorded...

The whole show is really fun --
energy ++
lyrically strong as well
The quality of this recording is severely higher than a 5.
> 5

as always a great garden show during these years (1988-1994); lived ten blocks downtown from the garden for thirteen years (1985 - 1998) and the best part of all of that had to be being able to walk to the dead shows for a couple of great weeks in either september or october - this is one of the best shows at the garden I have seen - energy was crazy and band rocked out with a ton of hits as Manhattan did what it could only do, allow tens of thousands of deadheads to blend into the scenery once out of the garden and dance sweat and have a great time while in the arena; bruce and vince on keyboards brought some great stuff to the band which seemed always to be invogorated for the garaden, but even more so this run as questions were abound with brent dead and bruce and vince in - this night and the whole week as the start of a great sound for the band

This whole show is great, but Phil is PHENOMENOL.

This is without a doubt one of the best shows of all time! There might be better versions of individual songs out there, but as a complete show, this one reigns supreme. Best show of the 90's by far.

but this is the best Dead show I ever saw...(just for the record)

.....Don't pass Go, just download this show. It was the best show I ever attended (this and 9/0/91), and is a MONSTER. There's nothing to be said - get it NOW.

The post Dark Star meltdown has Bruce banging on his piano with his forearms.

I've been dowloading so many shows lately that, once I finish one, I always eagerly move onto the next one. But this show (9/20/90) is the first one that prompted me to immediately listen to it again from the top. There are people who consider this the best Dead show of all time. Well, that's sure a hard assertion to prove. But this one is top-5 or top-10, easily. One could argue for it being the best, though: the jams are amazing, the singing is impassioned, and oh man-- that second set... A real surprise is just how much Vince rips great organ playing throughout Truckin' and China>Rider. (Vince may have his fans, and his detractors, but he surely shines in this show). The real highlight, obviously, is that Jerry and Bruce demonstrate amazing interplay. What a terrific show-- and really quite stunning just for the fact that it came so soon after Brent's untimely passing. Bottom line: I always wish for a time machine to take me back to a May 1977 Dead show (when I was 6 years old). But this download makes me think I might want to redial the ol' time machine for September 1990 instead.

These '90 MSG shows were just awesome, night after night.

This is the one show that most puts an ache of regret in my heart for missing almost the entire 89-91 period (and all of the Dark Stars). There are a lot of great shows in this period, but this one is up there with the best of all time. 2/28/69, 9/21/72, 10/30/73, 6/18/74 - anyone you want to name. This maybe even tops them all. OK, it wasn't as long as the early shows, and the 1st set song selection after Stranger is kind of lame, but the playing level is mega-hot from beginning to end, and oh, that 2nd set!!

The sound quality is just about perfect as well. This along with 7/12 and 9/18 are 3 shows from 1990 that everyone should have. High marks to 10/20 as well. Wish I could give it 6 stars.

my first dark star, enough said

They always saved a little extra for the NY crowd. I was at this whole run, and they actually peaked a few times during this week. But they sure did save the best for last. Go figure that in an era where the shows started to become hit or miss, they'd pull out maybe the all-time great China>Rider. Have a feeling it was Hornsby's influence on Jerry, they were getting off on each other every night. The Dark Star was the icing on the cake, not at all a throwaway version. This is one of the last great Dead shows and should be a part of any serious collection

I went to alot of Garden and other East Coast shows following this and none of them can touch this - Listen to Phil thumb popping like Sly Stone on Throwing Stones.

Did not make it to this even though I lived walkin distance away at the time - new girlfriend did not like the dead - who hasnt seen that scenario played out? Well this is what I missed ripping stranger opener and all solid Jer tunes - ramble on rose and a first set us blues? china>rider>truckin?? well I am no longer with the girl for the record - blame it on this.

Nice Althea. If only Bruce could have stayed and Vince had gone :(

what a great MSG run and a sweet way to initiate BH. This show is great. The post space portion is legendary.

WOW WOW WOW!!!
this show is hotttt! Listening to it now i didn't realise how special this show was when i was there. check it out! trucking, china>rider>women are smarter> drums> space> AND THEN... dark star>playing in the band reprise>darkstar> throwing stones!

the sound quality in premo, doesn't get much better. bruce does an excellent job filling in the notorious keboard position for the all time greatest rock band

but don't take my advice, download and see for yo' self.

what a show. i was on phils side in the first bowl about 25 feet from phil, watching him takeing chucgs from a red cup filled with ? heinekin?. if you listen carefully during the tune up before stranger, you can hear phil edging jerry to start the show with " althea!". but bob won with stranger and althea was played later. this is my fav after brent show of all of the 90's. this is a pristine copy here on archive, sounds killer. if you go to further there is a copy of this show on VCD qued up to a dan healy ultramatrix aud/sbd mix that just about puts any sbd version of this show to shame. phil is all over the place here. the whole show, specially set 2 makes you think about the wonderful days of the europe 72' tour. the first 1/2 of set 2 cooks. truckin china.rider is a thrill ride i wont soon forget. but when the boys came out of space and started dark star, jaws dropped and cheers were herd equivelent to the ones when this gem was broke out in the hamptons last fall. there is maddness and mathem here. get it. you NEED it. once you hear it, you'll never be the same. bruce's piano adds to the 72 feel. tonight was the night that jerry, bob, phil, bill, mickey welcomed vince and bruce to the band. i also just want to say that over the 6 nights at MSG 1990, the shows got better, spacier, and tighter. by tonight i was convinced that these bouys still got it. and would keep it for a little while longer. 93-95 had some great shows. it was a hit or miss call and i think every show i went to was a killer show. hey if jerry was having a bad day at the office, it was ok cause he's only human. wished he took 93 or 94 off to rest and recover. maybe he would still be with us today. sorry about the novel, get this show. it is a must for anyone dead head or not.

This has long been one of my favorite performances of the "new era." The band is utterly on fire in the second set and the interplay between them and the crowd is a testament to the energy present that night.

On that note, I have had a gorgeous audience copy of this show from back in the analog days but no source info for it. It ranks up there as one of the best audience tapes I have ever heard - the music and vocals are all bright and clear and the powerful audience would give even the neophyte listener reason to jump up and boogie. If anyone knows to what source I am referring and if there is any way to get a copy on the archive I, for one, would be eternally grateful. I feel certain everyone else would be too.

All the shows from this garden run are worth the download. One of my favorite runs. Second set rocks...its worth your time.

standing down by the rangers' boards, at the end of the folding chairs and my fifth out of a six night run, the girl that i was with told me that she "got her dark star." i've heard many people say that they've "done" the grand canyon or "did" europe; i scratched my head every time. can someone who lives beside the grand canyon ever claim that he or she is intimately acquainted with every crack and fold of stone? it was the notch to her touring stick that i did not understand. i wanted to holler, "BUT DID YOU HEAR IT?"

for sure, this show holds some of the few moments of grateful dead dimentia that occurred in the later era. i love the bouncy 80s, but they didn't rake the fingernails down the chalkboard like they do here before throwing stones. we go from smooth as silk dark star theme to something frightening that reminded me that i was in the heart of the beast while the boyz were making ready for europe and the troops were making ready for saudi and kuwait. i feel blessed to have been there and can not recommend a download enough.

for later era dead, except for spurts in the '80s (october '83 comes to mind), i cannot think of a run that comes close to this msg run. each show of the run is magic (9-19 is stellar). in fact, it may just be one of the major stand outs in the final 15 years. aside from my hystrionics, check out the jubilant china->rider, and all of post drums. it's AWESOME. i kid you not.

I have to disagree that it doesn't sound like one of Bruce's first shows. In numerous spots he clearly doesn't know the material at all; it's as if he's never even heard Playin'. That turns out to be sort of a plus, though, as the show isn't as perfunctory and corporate as most of the late era shows. But what do I know? I'm a '69 - '73 fan.
Sound quality is A+++. Worth the download, fer sure, despite an overabundance of synthetic soundtrack thunder.

This show is amazing from start to finish. Surprisingly, this is one of Bruce's first shows, although it doesn't sound like it. The first set song selection awesome and the pre-drums segment is hot as well. However, the post-drums segment include one of the better later era Dark Star's complete with a MIDI mind meltdown. Oh yeah, check out Throwin' Stones...the song just builds and builds till Bobby yells his guts out. Get it!!!

This show is definetely worth the Download. It is one of my All-time favourite shows. They peak at EVERY song and the setlist says it all... A+++
A MUST HAVE!!!